One way we fail to recognize the Lord’s sovereignty in all circumstances is when we offer sympathy to others who may well be experiencing the discipline of the Lord or suffering in accordance with God’s will. Oswald Chambers says, “No saint dare interfere with the discipline of suffering in another saint.” This is because suffering is a necessary part of the Christian life that we all must accept. Likewise, in those who are not saved it is the result of their wickedness and failure to honor Jesus as Lord. We must not sympathize with their circumstances, but recognize the state of their soul and pray for them to be saved. For this reason Chambers states, “We do not identify ourselves with God’s interests and concerns for others, and we get irritated with Him. Yet we are always ready with our own ideas, and our intercession becomes only the glorification of our own natural sympathies. We have to realize that the identification of Jesus with sin means a radical change of all of our sympathies and interests. Vicarious intercession means that we deliberately substitute God’s interests in others for our natural sympathy with them." God’s primary interest is that he be glorified by rescuing a people called to worship him. His will is our sanctification, not that we have happy circumstances all the time. For this reason Paul thanked God for his own suffering and the suffering in the lives of others (2 Thessalonians 1:3).
Likewise, when we fail to spend time with the Lord in prayer and in the word in order to “serve God” we are not serving God nor are we honoring him as Lord. Often believer’s will volunteer in various ways and offer up time and money in service to the Lord all the while thinking they do not have time to read their bible. This again is not the order, which is seen in the scripture. We cannot do any good apart from the Lord and must recognize the power and importance of prayer. Chambers states, “Prayer does not equip us for greater works— prayer is the greater work. Yet we think of prayer as some commonsense exercise of our higher powers that simply prepares us for God’s work. In the teachings of Jesus Christ, prayer is the working of the miracle of redemption in me, which produces the miracle of redemption in others, through the power of God.” It is in reading God’s word and through prayer that we can know the ways in which are to serve and love our brothers more faithfully. It is an impossibility to love God so much that you do not love your brothers. There is no danger in focusing on the Lord and taking much time to spend with him. John reminds us, “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments, (1 John 5:1-2). Elsewhere in the same epistle he states that those who say they love God and hate their brothers are walking in darkness and do not abide in Christ. Therefore, we can trust that the Holy Spirit will guide and direct us so that we never neglect loving our brothers when we focus on the Lord.
We would avoid much disappointment and confusion if we only considered the way the glory of the Lord was seen or not seen in any given circumstance. We must passionately defend the Lord Jesus our Savior and his testimony regarding his work on the cross, which was done for his name’s sake. We are not called to passionately defend people, first and foremost, but the Lord our God maker of heaven and earth to whom all glory belongs. For this is the example of all the men of God found in scripture. May we seek first his kingdom, his righteousness and be with Christ so that we may see his glory. Remember our dear Savior’s words, “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” May we find comfort and peace by returning our gaze to the Lord who is deserving of all praise and honor and see how our love for others ever increases.